Gooey Butter Cake
🍰 Two layers:
- A soft, buttery base
- A gooey, rich cream cheese topping
🧁 Ingredients
For the Cake Base:
- 1 box yellow cake mix (approx. 15.25 oz / 430g)
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
For the Gooey Topping:
- 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted
- 3½ to 4 cups (420–480g) powdered sugar
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish (or line with parchment).
2. Make the Base Layer:
- In a large bowl, combine cake mix, melted butter, and egg.
- Mix until fully combined and dough-like.
- Press evenly into the bottom of the pan.
3. Make the Gooey Topping:
- In another bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.
- Add eggs and vanilla, beat until combined.
- Pour in melted butter and mix well.
- Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth and thick.
4. Assemble:
- Pour gooey topping over the cake base.
- Spread evenly with a spatula.
5. Bake:
- Bake for 40–45 minutes — the edges will be golden and set, the center should still jiggle slightly.
- Don’t overbake — it sets as it cools!
6. Cool & Serve:
- Let cool completely in the pan.
- Dust with powdered sugar and slice into squares.
📝 Tips:
- Best served at room temperature or slightly chilled.
- For a more intense flavor, use brown butter in the topping.
- Can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days — great make-ahead dessert!
🍫 Variations:
- Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake: Use chocolate cake mix and add 2 tbsp cocoa powder to the topping.
- Pumpkin Spice Version: Add ½ cup pumpkin puree and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice to the topping.
- Lemon Gooey Cake: Use lemon cake mix and add lemon zest to the topping.
